More than 100 Internet companies and two of five commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission are taking issue with Chairman Tom Wheeler's plan to regulate broadband providers.
Mr. Wheeler's proposed Internet rules would allow broadband companies to charge content providers for access to the fastest lanes. The proposal has angered proponents of network neutrality—the concept that all Internet traffic should be treated equally.
"If these reports are correct, this represents a grave threat to the Internet," said Amazon.com Inc., AMZN +0.72% Google Inc., GOOG +0.53% eBay Inc., EBAY +0.65% Yahoo Inc. YHOO +0.27% and Facebook Inc., FB +1.06% among others, on Wednesday in a letter to Mr. Wheeler.
"Instead of permitting individualized bargaining and discrimination, the Commission's rules should protect users and Internet companies on both fixed and mobile platforms against blocking, discrimination, and paid prioritization, and should make the market for Internet services more transparent," the companies said in the letter. "The rules should provide certainty to all market participants and keep the costs of regulation low."
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